Once Upon A Time
by C.M. Kearney
Summary: Reposted. The AU of the World of Princess Tutu: fairytaleized completely. Better than it sounds.
1. The Beginning

**Disclaimer: **Princess Tutu is not mine. Period.

Reposting because I feel like it'll come back to life again someday. .>

**-X-**

_**The Beginning**_

_Main title_

Once upon a time, there was a small kingdom nestled in a rich and green countryside. And in this kingdom, was a small town. A town of a thousand people, a thousand houses, a thousand shops, and even a thousand cats and dogs roaming the streets. This particular kingdom of a thousand proportions had a name, and it was Golden Crown.

Golden Crown had had a long, interesting history of events throughout its time, since many of the most fearful and yet exciting things appeared at its gates. From trolls to ogres to giants to mad witches, almost every one of them has reared its ugly face to the town and the townspeople, wreaking havoc and sending them scattering and fleeing into their houses or the nearest refuge. And thus, Golden Crown also had a thousand tales graphically written into its record, many titled for the fearsome monster attacks received by the town. So it was only surprising to many from faraway lands that a town so vivaciously come upon by such terrible monstrosities was still standing despite all that it had been forced to go through. Yet, hardly did it come to the curious outsiders that both the town and the entire kingdom wore a veil of protection around itself from the evil wrought. And that veil was the symbol of the kingdom. The ruler and son of a great king, the kingdom was being protected by the Prince Mythos.

With his sword, and the knight who refused to leave his side for even a moment, the prince fought off every single monster that came within a mile of his kingdom and slew them all with such skill and bravery, the love for his people being what fueled him in the battle as he defended his kingdom from any that threatened his people.

The prince, so well-loved and well-treated by the townspeople, came to be known as Mythos the Chivalrous. At oftentimes, he went by the name of Golden Heart. A kind-hearted soul, Prince Mythos was never found in solitude, as long as his knight stayed at his side to protect him from any danger. His time as a prince, however, was shortening, and he was now ready to fully accept his duties as the ruler and soon-to-be-made king of all Golden Crown, which meant he also needed a princess for his queen. The townspeople, concerned only for the prince's happiness, wished dearly for the one princess that would bring joy and love to his eyes, and hoped for both to rule in harmony and peace as they should.

This, however, was only the least of their troubles. In fact, they were about to begin, as something evil approaches across the horizon that none were aware of. And soon, not even the most gruesome ogre could unleash a greater terror than what they all were about to face.

And thus, began the story of Golden Crown, the prince, his knight, a princess, and a girl who dared to dream.

**-X-**


	2. The Poor Peasant Girl

**Disclaimer: **Um, I don't own Princess Tutu. Drosselmeyer does, so I stole his favorite quill and some of his parchment to write this story.

**-X-**

_**The Poor Peasant Girl**_

_No Holly for Miss Quinn_

"Ahiru! Ahiru!"

"Ahiru! Wake UP!"

The addressed woke up with a start from her bed and fell in a heap on the floor, eliciting a yelp of pain from her, the sheets wrapped about her small frame from head to toe like a cocoon. The girl sat up from the worn, wooden floor, and as the sheet covering her head slipped off, the girl's face was revealed. Her face was round and adorned with a pair of cornflower-blue eyes, a button nose and a small thin mouth, with a light spray of freckles dotting the area running along the bridge of her nose. Thick tresses of bright red, long hair fell in soft waves to the floor, one tall lock standing upright near the top of her forehead. From outside her front door, voices belonging to another pair were being heard.

"Oh, I heard that!" a high-pitched feminine one exclaimed. "Ahiru's fallen of her bed again, it seems!"

"Is that really something for you to be happy about?" inquired another more-level voice, this one also of a female's.

"Ugh…what time is it…?" the girl muttered, rubbing her head, oblivious to the conversation outside her front door.

Long lashes blinked the sleep out of her eyes as she looked to the wooden clock sitting on her bedside table.

**4:30 a.m.**

She blinked. "Huh? That's weird. It's still too early."

"Ahiruuuu!" called the first voice, this time followed by a rapping on the door.

The girl Ahiru perked up. "Eh? Lillie?"

"Ahiru, are you awake yet?" asked the second.

"Pique? Ah…! Yes, I'm awake!" the redhead announced to them.

"Well then hurry up! We're going to be late!"

She started, baffled.

_Huh? Late? At this time? That can't be!_

Suddenly, she swung her head to the window. Rising to her bare feet, she drew the curtains aside, and blanched.

Through her window, she had a full view of the cobbled street outside her house. A carriage passed by, and the street was filled with people, men and women, a tiny jeweler's store standing on the opposite side. To the east of her house was the town square. And the sunlight filtered her window in radiant beams.

Ahiru made a panicked sound in her throat. "What the…!"

Dashing to the clock, she grasped it in her hands and put the dial to her ear. It wasn't ticking. It had stopped working.

"Oh NO! I'm going to be late!" she squawked, turning on her heel as she made to get dressed, only to trip on the hem of her nightgown and fall over with a crash once again.

"Oh my!" exclaimed the girl Lillie in pure ecstasy. "What a wonderful sound to listen to in the morning!"

The one named Pique gave the girl a sidelong glance of aggravation before calling to their friend once more. "Ahiru, Lillie and I'll go on ahead so hurry up already! Mister Frederick will be furious again if you show up tardy!"

"O-o-okay!" the girl stuttered as she struggled to her feet and changed into her work clothes.

_Pique's right,_ she thought to herself, _I can't keep being late like this, or Mister Frederick's gonna fire me!_

Hastily but carefully, Ahiru laid her nightgown neatly on her bed and got dressed quickly. She put on a gray, white-collared cotton dress that reached to her ankles and fumbled with the buttons, tying a clean, white apron around her waist to complete her frock. Sitting at her small wooden dresser, she took up a brush and ran it through her long, red hair, before fixing it into one braid that nearly touched the ground. Rising to her feet, Ahiru looked herself over in the mirror before nodding in satisfaction with herself.

"Alright!"

The redhead ran out onto the busy street, making sure to lock the door behind her first, and was immediately greeted by the hustle and bustle of the townspeople as they went about their business. Struggling against the wave of people jostling her, Ahiru made her way through the crowd, apologizing every so often whenever she bumped into someone.

"Wh-what time is it?" she asked no one as she pelted across the street. Ahiru passed a shop window, then screeching to a halt, backtracked to it while jogging in place. The shop was selling clocks, several on display in the window.

And the time on every face read 6:45.

"Aaaaaahhhh!" Ahiru wailed as she went on her way. "I gotta hurry up!"

She swerved into a narrow alley between two buildings, attempting to make a shortcut and save whatever time she had left. But when she reached the other side, another crowd of people met her and she nearly collided with them. Only this time, there was a procession. And she soon realized why.

"Make way for the prince! Make way for His Royal Majesty!"

A pageboy walked down the street while leading a line of people, and right behind him, riding his white horse...

Ahiru gasped in surprise. "It's the prince! He came back!"

With soft, beautiful, golden eyes, Prince Mythos' gaze swept over the people welcoming him in his return to Golden Crown. He smiled gently and warmly at each and every one of them, his snowy-white hair billowing softly in the morning breeze. He waved to the children as they broke away from their parents and padded alongside his horse.

Her worries forgotten from the moment she'd set her eyes on the handsome prince, Ahiru squeezed her way through the crowd of people as she tried to make her way to the front, ending up crawling on hands and knees to get there. Getting to her feet while dusting off her frock, the red-haired girl watched Mythos in such awe, a small blush tinting her cheeks.

"It's so good to have the prince home once again." said an elderly woman to her husband from behind the girl. "There is no light without him to watch over us."

"Prince Mythos…" said Ahiru dreamily, blue eyes never leaving his approaching form.

Not far off behind him, trailing in the prince's stead on horseback, was his knight, ever-watchful and ever-vigilant. His greenish-black hair pulled back loosely, he guarded Mythos with his life and sword as if it was all he was meant to do for all time. He was watching the crowd as well, but only from the corner of his eye. His forest-green irises stayed fixed to the front, completely ignoring the people as if they weren't even there.

_The prince is so wonderful…_ Ahiru continued to gush. _So kind and brave, so fearless in battle. So caring, so generous. _

Ahiru had long been smitten with the prince Mythos for almost all of her life. Her heart entirely devoted to him, she often dreamed and fantasized a time when she was a princess, and she became his. And they'd live happily ever after with each other, as so it went in her head.

Prince Mythos was coming closer to Ahiru, and she sighed dreamily to herself again.

_Maybe someday, I'll—_

However, before she could finish her train of thought, a five-year old boy was struggling to get through the crowd from behind Ahiru, and after freeing himself from in-between two people, he lost his balance and collided with the girl, causing her to stumble forward.

"Aawawawaaa!" she cried out, arms flapping wildly over her head as she hovered over the ground, defying gravity like a bird in the air. This went on for only five seconds, before she fell forward onto the street on her face. "Gck!"

Before she knew what was happening, there was a whinny and the pulling of reins, as the prince struggled with his horse to prevent it from treading on Ahiru. The beast reared on its hind legs, pawing the air with its hooves, alarmed at its rider's suddenly rough handling, and at the same time, protesting against it. The crowd gasped and retreated further onto the sidewalk, parents grabbing their children and leading them away to safety, afraid of having them being trod on by the perturbed horse. Still sprawled on the ground, Ahiru looked up to it with a horrified expression, blue eyes wide, thinking for sure that this was the end, and she buried her head in her arms, too afraid to move and unable to watch. At last however, Prince Mythos managed to pull the horse away and let it drop back down a foot far from the fallen girl. Dismounting, he rushed over, coming to kneel at her side. Lifting her head, Ahiru found herself face-to-face with the prince, and blinking twice before realizing so, flushed a dark red.

"I'm so sorry." the prince was apologizing as he helped her to her feet. "Are you alright?"

The prince's worried eyes scanned her intently for any sign of injury, causing her to redden more and stutter.

"Uh-uh-uh…" was all Ahiru was able to say. Even in her mind, she could think of nothing. She wanted to protest against the prince's apology, tell him that it should be her that should be apologizing, that she was sorry for causing him trouble, and in the recesses of her wondering mind, maybe even confess her private feelings for him. But for the time being, she could feel that his hand on her shoulder was warm. Ahiru was relishing that sensation, that simple gesture telling her so much more than it really should.

"My horse can become very temperamental. You must forgive him." the prince explained gently.

"Y-y-y-yes."

Prince Mythos smiled at Ahiru, and if it was possible, her temperature shot up.

_H-he's smiling at me!_ she thought wildly to herself. _I…I don't believe it! The prince is smiling at __**me**_

For some reason, she thought that there was an exchange of unspoken words between her and the prince as they simply stood there, words that were supposed to remain unspoken between them and hidden from everyone else. Or perhaps, it was because his hand was still on her shoulder that she'd had such a thought. An illicit one. One that she shouldn't be having. As a commoner.

"Your Highness."

The silence was broken by the knight's soft yet almost imperious tone, as he scrutinized the two of them from on top of his own horse, taking no notice of the peasant girl Ahiru, who looked up at him with mild curiosity. People rarely hear the knight speak in public, or see him speak to anyone else other than the prince. So it was a surprise to most whenever he opened his mouth to talk. It wasn't a wonder why many say he was a very closed-off young man.

The prince nodded solemnly at his knight before turning back to her. "I'm sorry, but I must be on my way. Do take care, miss."

Prince Mythos bowed to Ahiru, who blushed again and stammered, "Y-y-yes."

She tried to return the curtsey, but nearly fell over again at the attempt. Straightening up, she put a hand behind her head and laughed nervously, excusing her clumsiness.

The prince offered a heartwarming smile once more before mounting his now-mollified horse and waving to the people, continuing on his way towards the castle.

Ahiru watched him go, almost longingly. If only they had had a moment longer. But then again, he couldn't waste his time on a simple girl like her when he had other important matters to attend to.

A shadow passed over her form, and she looked up to see the knight and his horse following slowly after the prince. His eyes weren't on her, but she could see a scowl forming on his face, his lip tight with irritation.

"Pest…" he muttered under his breath.

Ahiru started. It was low but clear to her ears. He'd called her a pest.

_How dare he insult me like that?_

Planting her feet firmly on the ground, Ahiru, imitating the knight's expression, scowled after his retreating back, shoulders hunched and hands balled into fists.

_He's so rude! _she thought angrily. _I can't believe the prince is being guarded by someone like __**him**_

But before she could think of anything else spiteful, the clock tower in the north began to ring, and it caught her attention.

"Eh?"

Then, it came back to her. Her accident with the prince had driven it completely out of her mind. And she burst into a panicking fit.

"Quaaaahhh! I'll be laaaaaaaaaate!"

**-X-**

**A/N: **Long enough? Please R & R. It _**really**_ makes me happy and feeling motivated to hear the readers' opinions. So now, Fakir and Mythos enter the chapter. Fan girls of either of the two bishies or both, feel free to scream. I, for one, scream for Fakir. ;)


	3. Musings

**-X-**

_**Musings**_

_Athair ar Neamh_

Sunlight poured in through the windowpane, casting several beams on the hard stone floor. The fair-haired prince stood gazing out the window, his face vacant as his golden eyes swept over the spectacular view of his kingdom, and beyond that, the acres of farm from which the townspeople grew their crops, windmills plotted in every field. Precipitation in the land during the spring was plentiful, and though summer brought scorching heat that caused much suffering to people and vegetation alike, crops were reasonably right for harvest during the chilly autumn in preparation for the harsh wintertime. And this season of spring had been fairly progressive for the farmers that worked in the fields, their crops having been growing well under their care.

The prince sighed deeply, his chest rising and falling as he placed a hand over his heart. The people have had a happy life in Golden Crown for as long as he could remember, despite atrocities and threats the kingdom had encountered with numerous monsters such as trolls and wicked hags. None of them had ever thought to lose faith in him, Prince Mythos, when they've had their fair share of dangerous and unfortunate events. And while he and his protector, his knight, watched over the kingdom to protect and defend from all that dared come near the castle walls and try for bringing up chaos, the rubble would be cleared away should they have been damaged, and houses reconstructed if they'd been destroyed.

But not even he, the noble Prince Mythos, ruler of an entire kingdom, wasn't able to handle almost every danger alone. There were things, after all, that couldn't be defeated so easily with just a sharp blade. And though the prince knew his knight wouldn't allow a time to let him out of his sight, it bothered him to feel (for perhaps, the first time) anxiety, and worse, fear.

Two emotions that he hadn't comprehended yet before, and they blossomed in his chest in short, aching throbs. The prince resented those emotions. They distracted him from everything else.

His brows furrowed slightly.

And at the moment, the last thing he needed was a distraction. Signs of weakness, not to mention, were not to be taken lightly at this time either.

Just then, the double oak doors opened slightly, interrupting the train of thought running through his head, and Prince Mythos glanced back to see his knight entering his royal chamber.

"Fakir." he acknowledged the knight by his name, granting him permission to speak at the same time.

The dark-haired young man nodded a little before proceeding his way across the room towards the window where Prince Mythos stood by. Coming to stand next to him, Fakir's eyes rested on the windowpane, letting the silence between them hang for just a few seconds before speaking.

"You should rest, your Majesty. It's been a tiring day, returning from the mountains."

The prince let a small smile cross his lips, golden eyes still towards the window. "I'm not too tired to stand. I'm fine."

"Even so—" the knight began.

"Fakir, you worry too much. Truly. I said I'm fine."

Mythos could feel the man shooting him a scowl of annoyance now, and sighed quietly to himself. He knew by now, that his knight was, by far, the most protective and overbearing one he'd ever had in the castle. Or in truth, the only one he'd ever had. Fakir was the very first knight to have taken up the position of being his partner in battle, and his skills with a sword were impressive and almost comparable to his own, which was one good reason to keep the sullen knight at his side at all times during a fight. Though most people view the pair as mere charge and protector and were only on short conversational terms, the prince and Fakir were much closer than anyone outside the castle knew. Perhaps, one could say that they were good friends, though not many see that this was true. In any case, both were inseparable, either in the battlefield or in any other place.

Mythos' gaze wandered over to his knight once more, whose facial expression was fixed into the stoic one that he commonly wore, his forest-green eyes training on the snow-haired prince before him. And just the sight of Fakir looking so intently at his person nearly made Mythos want to laugh for some reason.

_Always so adamant and serious._

But knowing the knight, he probably would have questioned him for the sudden outburst, and the prince was never in the favor of making Fakir irritated. So instead, he offered a tender smile (blended with a bit of amusement behind it) and said, "I'm too restless to be exhausted. If I try and sleep now, I don't think I'll look too well for the rest of the day."

Fakir nodded solemnly in understanding, but he didn't seem too convinced, eyes finally leaving the prince to come to rest on the windowpane. It was a beautiful morning. In the distance to his far right, the great blue lake that of which could be seen from the prince's chambers shimmered brightly with light from the sun.

"Fakir, you should be the one to rest." Mythos suddenly suggested to him. "I'm certain you're just as tired as you thought me to be so."

The knight sniffed indistinctly, his eyes never leaving the window. "I can take care of myself. It wouldn't be as if I would just collapse here before you, your Highness."

The prince sighed quietly once more, bowing his head as he closed his eyes. "I suppose…there's just too much for us to ponder in order to sleep, isn't there?"

Fakir didn't respond, knowing well what his charge meant.

Opening his golden eyes again, Mythos lifted them back to the window and the landscape before them, continuing gravely, "We can never be too loosely off-guard, now that a wave is coming our way. And if we just brush it aside and don't act immediately, who knows what trouble may be brought."

The knight averted forest-green orbs from the window and came to stare at the stone floor beneath his feet. "'Trouble', I believe, is a weaker term for what's to come, your Majesty."

A small smile made its way to the prince's lips, a sad, worried smile. A smile neither seen by the people who loved him nor one he allowed to let anyone witness aside from his knight.

"I suppose, since the gravity of our situation is a serious one. And the last thing I want is for my people to be disturbed by the troubling news."

There was a silence, as Fakir continued to stare at the floor, then he replied, "Who said we should let them know?"

The prince turned quickly to the dark-haired knight, a frown marring his smooth features. "Fakir, you're not telling me that we should keep it quiet from everyone?"

The knight's eyes met the golden pair, and stated, "There was never a time when we had difficulties in keeping away pesky intruders from the kingdom. _This_ can't be any different from any we've dealt with before. Dangerous, but not incomparable. So there's no point in worrying the townspeople over this when we can take care of it just as easily as we have with all the others."

Prince Mythos looked at Fakir, gaze sharpening. "Fakir, don't be arrogant. Of course this is different from the rest. It's unlike anything we've dealt with before, and none of us are safe once the danger comes."

The knight scoffed silently at the prince's words. He had a point, Fakir could see that. Abstinence, however, projected an entirely different way of thinking for him, one he neither refused nor accepted in spite of himself. And in addition to that, his ideals as a knight and a protector of the noble Prince Mythos usually fogged reason in his head just as much as his judgment.

"The future is unpredictable, Mythos." the prince straightened up as Fakir mentioned his name directly without title, and he knew he had to listen now. "We need to take chances in order to survive, even if it means you have to be subtle, and right now, the last thing we want is for the townspeople to fret about the news we've brought home. Believe me, your Majesty." he continued as the title returned. "It's best when we keep quiet about this."

The knight stepped away from the window and strode across the room towards the open doors, as the abated yet still worried prince's gaze followed after his tall and slender form. Stopping at the doorway, he turned to look at the young snow-haired ruler over his shoulder, and said, "Now, you should really rest, your Highness, as much as you would tell me how you don't feel the least bit tired. I'll be checking in on you again in an hour, and by that time, I want to see you in bed and resting."

At those words, the knight exited Mythos' chambers, shutting the double doors shut behind his retreating back.

**-X-**


	4. All in a Day's Work

_P.S._ The italicized titles found in each chapter beneath the mains are music pieces I've decided to insert. And I know most people wouldn't be familiar with the titles because they're not the same music you'd hear in the series. Nope. Just modern classical music, a few instrumentals, and scattered soundtracks which I thought would suit the theme. Trust me. It still works for the story.

**-X-**

_**All in a Day's Work**_

_Haste to the wedding_

A fresh morning breeze blew on the various acres of fields that seemed to stretch on for miles outside of Golden Crown, sending loose stalks of newly-sprouted corn flying and dancing in the wake of the wind. Unlike the cold and harsh winter, spring brought about a fresh, new change to the fields of the town, workers growing and nurturing their crops in order to prepare them for the autumn harvest. Each acre was a hectare wide, and none failed to provide fertile soil for the people's crops. And because Golden Crown owned more than two dozen acres of fields, half of the kingdom's population found work in the fields rather than in the town. But as they worked together, crops were often helped to grow as healthy and as ripe as the people saw fit, and they were content with things as it was.

Farm animals were looked after in the number of farms and fenced-in pastures provided on the other side of the kingdom's territory, from cows, horses and sheep to farm fowl alike. Thus, the processes of milking, herding, and egg-gathering were also part of most of the workers' duties in order to gain extra money, though most undertook only this one particular job.

The people woke up early every morning and headed for the fields to begin their work, and by this time, they were already in labor either in the fields they were assigned to work in or occupied with the farm animals within the farm and pasture areas.

And where the young girl Ahiru worked was in a farm situated at the top of a small hill just half a mile away and southeast of Golden Crown.

The path towards that location entertained the traveler as they would walk. As soon as they had passed the last acre at the end, the path would curve and dive through a vast field of assorted flowers. Tulips, lilacs and wild daisies bloomed along the path and spread out, perhaps, throughout the rest of the valley. Ahiru was especially fond of picking them on her way to the farm, making crowns by lacing them into a ring as she walked and presenting them to her friends.

But now was no time for it. The girl's punctuality wasn't always as frequent as it should be for her, and when she was late, there often came a punishment.

And the punishment was never pleasant.

**-x-**

The farm that was Frederick Beowulf's (or Mister Frederick, as he rather liked to be called) was neither the largest nor the richest, but its simplicity captured its own beauty, and would have been enough to impress the artist's sensitive eye if he were to take the setting into his hands and with brush and palette, cast the setting upon canvas. The farmhouse was wooden and a light red, the roof sharply inclined on either side and was painted a shade of Prussian blue. Beside it lay the barn, where the horses and the cows were being kept in their stables, the tool shed planted close to it. The pigs' pens and the farm fowl were at the southeast side of the farm, while the chicken coop was settled in one corner of the fence surrounding the property. And outside the fence's borders, Mister Frederick's flock of white and black-faced sheep grazed among the pastures a little farther off from the farm, surrounded by a fence built into a large circle, complete with an iron gate.

Since the farm wasn't too big to handle, the owner needed only a few people to have to assist him with farm work. The pay was good, so the workers did their jobs dutifully. Only seven worked for Mister Frederick; Ahiru, her two friends Pique and Lillie, and four other girls.

And at the moment, only six were present, as they stood in a column before their employer, waiting for the seventh to make her appearance.

Ahiru's employer, though had a usually fair, understanding and mild-mannered nature, could also become emotionally dynamic, and frighteningly so. Especially when his workers often came in late. And curiously enough, his intentions to discipline their "erratic" behavior leaned towards a fundamental basis, which was meant to establish his own happiness.

And that of which everyone, particularly the females, clearly avoided, as you shall see.

At that moment, the purple-haired farmer had his head bowed, eyes closed, listening silently for the familiar pair of feet to make their way towards the iron gate and into his farm, all the while his own bootstrapped foot tapping impatiently on the ground. The young girls stood waiting as well, passing whispers every once in a while, sneaking a few glances at the man before them.

"Good grief." Pique muttered under her breath as she turned her head to glance around. "Where's Ahiru?"

"Stumbling and tripping along the pathways with all of the clumsiness in the world, no doubt." came Lillie's piping soprano, enjoying such a thought.

"But this is the fifth time this week!" Pique hissed. "If this keeps up, Ahiru's going to have to—!"

Just then, a lock of red hair appeared bobbing up the hill, followed after by a head, and soon, the rest of the body.

"There she is!" Lillie announced, catching everyone else's attention towards the approaching figure.

Ahiru came running up, panting as her shoes pounded along the dirt path towards the gate.

Pique sighed. "It's about time."

Mister Frederick, on the other hand, hadn't moved from his spot, nor gave any indication that he'd heard Lillie's exclamation or the tardy girl's arrival.

Pushing the iron gate open and racing towards the others, Ahiru came to a halt just feet from her two friends, and nearly collapsed from exhaustion from running. Instead, she stood bent over, resting her hands on her knees.

"I'm…sorry…that…I'm…late…!" Ahiru managed between gasps as she took gulps of air. "I…was…er…um…"

She couldn't reason truthfully without having her employer exploding at her. Getting sidetracked by the Prince's return and the fault caused by her own clumsiness was no excuse even for a man like Mister Frederick.

There was a pause, and then he lifted his eyes towards the red-haired girl. Wordlessly, he raised a hand and with a finger, beckoned for her to approach him.

Not wanting to aggravate him more by her disobedience, Ahiru quickly scooted towards Mister Frederick, quivering blue eyes on his form, too afraid to expect what was to come, when she already knew what was to.

"Ahiru-san." he began, and she gave a start.

"Y-y-yes, sir?" she responded. She could feel herself shaking at the knees already.

"What excuse in particular do you have for being so late on this fine morning?"

As he spoke, Mister Frederick's tone of voice was calm and seemingly good-natured, as if there wasn't a problem he had in the world at the moment. But Ahiru knew better. The more pleasant the farmer's voice was during times like these, the more frightening the end of the conversation would be.

Still unsure of the truth, the redhead tried. "Er…well…um…I…"

"Yeeees?"

Fumbling with her words and voice quivering, Ahiru let it all out in one long string. "One-of-my-socks-had-a-hole-in-it-last-night-so-I-tried-to-fix-it-but-then-I-wasn't-too-good-in-sewing-so-it-took-me-all-night-and-then-after-I-was-done-I-fell-asleep-around-3-in-the-morning-and-then-I-woke-up-again-and-I-realized-that-I-slept-for-too-long-and-I-panicked-and-got-dressed-as-fast-as-I-could-and-then-I-ran-and-ran-and-ran-all-the-way-here-and-that's-it!"

After she'd finished, the girl refilled her lungs and exhaled.

What a lie. A good one, for once, apart from her previous ones. Still, a lie. But it was better than telling Mister Frederick the actual truth. Otherwise, things could've gotten worse.

The man stood there regarding the red-haired girl, deciding whether to believe such a tale or not. Ahiru didn't move from her spot, returning her employer's gaze and trying to look as innocent as possible. Behind her, her two friends looked on at the scene, one with anxiety on her face, the other with forest-green eyes as bright as emeralds with excitement.

But at last, Frederick Beowulf sighed heavily and said to Ahiru, "I suppose that's…plausible a reason, for you Ahiru-san. Therefore, I'll let you go."

Light shined in her blue eyes as he'd said that, both with happiness and relief. Lillie squealed for her as Pique put a hand over her heart and closing her eyes, sighed thankfully.

"Thank you, Mister Frederick!" Ahiru bowed low. "Thank you!"

"However…!"

The girl balked at the sudden sharpness of his tone, and very slowly, brought her entire face up to look at the purple-haired farmer, whose entire demeanor began to change, and she could almost sense a dark and ominous cloud looming over his head.

"I stand to reason that before, you've come away from the punishment with terrible excuses, and thus, I believe I've become too soft to let your tardiness slide any longer!" Mister Frederick boomed, his voice carrying all over the farm as he towered over the young girl. "Today I let you go as since now you have good reason to be unpunctual, but next time…!"

Ahiru visibly shook now. She thought her knees were giving under her. She knew what was coming, and though she wasn't really going to get it yet, she couldn't help but quake in her shoes.

"NEXT TIME…!" the man continued with pure menace, beady eyes bulging out of its sockets. "YOU WILL HAVE TO MARRY ME!"

At his outburst, all six girls backed towards the fence behind them as one as every farm animal went berserk, neighs, squawks and bleats filling the air.

The redhead, rooted to the spot and too bewildered to say anything else, managed to reply at least with a squeaky, "Yes, sir!", before she was dragged off by her two friends, away from the now-hyperventilating farmer.

**-x-**

"Cheer up, Ahiru!" said Pique to her friend moments later, as they each held a pitchfork in their hands and were pitching hay and straw from a medium-sized pile into the stables inside the barn. "At least you didn't _actually_ get threatened with marriage to Mister Frederick for being late! It was just…a _future_ threat."

The redhead's shoulders slumped. She knew Pique was just trying to make her feel better, but she just didn't have it in her to be so. She was still exhausted from this morning's event.

"And anyhow, you're lucky that you could think up of a good excuse for your tardiness!" Lillie piped up. "And also that Mister Frederick doesn't even know that you don't know how to sew anything in the first place!"

Pique arched an eyebrow as she realized it. "Yeah. That _is_ true."

Lillie beamed affectionately at her friend. "Oh, but don't worry, Ahiru! I still think that's a cute thing about you!"

Ahiru nearly choked as the blonde abandoned her pitchfork and suddenly grabbed her around the neck tightly and nuzzling her forcefully with her cheek, she continued, "After all, being clueless and clumsy is just what makes you so adorable and irresistible! That's why you should never try to change because you'll always be this way!

"Ne, ne! Never stop being, Ahiru! Okay, Ahiru?" Lillie quipped as she poked the girl's face affectionately with her finger.

"Gck…" was all that the redhead was able to say in the girl's deathly-tight grasp.

Sensing Ahiru's discomfort, Pique quickly pulled Lillie away and watched as Ahiru sank lifelessly to the hay-covered floor with her pitchfork still in hand. "Honestly Lillie. Be careful with Ahiru! You can't just simply hug and squeeze the life out of her, you know!"

"Eh?" the blonde-haired girl blinked quizzically at the salmon-haired one. "What do you mean? What did I do?"

"Ugh…!" Pique exclaimed as she struck herself on the forehead with her palm. "Forget it…"

Turning to her friend sprawled on the floor, she added, "Ahiru, don't feel so bad. I mean, if you'd just wake up a bit more early and stop dawdling along the way, you wouldn't be in so much trouble with Mister Frederick. I swear! I thought you were going to exchange wedding vows with him today!"

Groaning, the girl rose from the floor very dazedly, eyes unfocused. "No, that's not it, Pique."

She tapped Ahiru on the shoulder when she'd turned to talk to the brown and white cow she'd mistaken for her friend. "Over here."

The redhead whirled, recovering, as the cow mooed in response. "Oh! Uh, yeah! No, it wasn't about that that I was worried about."

Pique arched a brow as Lillie perked up with a curious and almost manic smile, and asked, "Really? Well then, what were you thinking about?"

Ahiru blushed slightly. "Umm, I was…just thinking about…the prince."

"Ahhhh!" her friends said in unison.

"You see, I sort of…met him along the way." she explained, blush deepening, grin crossing her face. "He'd come back from his trip south, and everybody was gathering to see him, and I stopped to watch, and, and…"

"…and that's the real reason why you were late." Pique finished for her, crossing her arms.

The redhead laughed uneasily as she scratched the back of her head. "I guess you were right when you told me to stop dawdling, ne Pique?"

"Oh, my silly Ahiru! Pining for the affection of His Majesty is just not good for you!"

And in a flash, Lillie had her in her deadly grasp once more, and was now rubbing her on the head with great friction, much to both Pique and Ahiru's dismay. "The noble Prince Mythos is a splendid figure who rules and watches over us and protects us from every imminent danger and threat that comes to our kingdom! He's so wise and brave, compassionate and courageous, selfless and giving, strong yet gentle!"

Pulling Ahiru's head around towards her with a painful crack of the neck, the blonde went on in her piping voice. "But a clumsy, unladylike and poor common girl such as you couldn't possibly have anything to do with the handsome prince, Ahiru! Oh no, there isn't a chance of you being with him! Ever! That's why you must stop these dreams and fantasies of you two together because they can never be fulfilled! Why, you're not even a princess!

"Ne? Ne?" she lilted and poked her friend with her merciless finger.

Pique looked on in aggravation at the scene, but she didn't make an effort to pry Ahiru from Lillie's claws again, as she added, "It's true, though. Seriously. You don't have a chance to win the prince's heart. It takes wealth and royal blood to get that opportunity. And unfortunately for you, Ahiru, you don't have any of those."

"I know that!" Ahiru claimed when the blonde was at last, dragged away. "But…I can't help but dream."

_That's true._ she added to herself, discouraged. _I can only dream about me and the prince. I'm just a normal girl and he's a royal figure. I'd never get a chance with him, that's for sure…_

"Well, dreaming won't get you anything." Pique replied firmly to Ahiru, who looked up from her thoughts to the salmon-haired girl. "You shouldn't even have had such a crush on Prince Mythos in the first place! The prince, of all people! Just because it's Golden Crown and it's small doesn't mean you should pick him! Why can't you just have gone for somebody else? Someone who's at least, well, on staff at the palace?"

"Eh? Like who?" Ahiru queried.

It was Pique's turn to redden and gush. "Oh, you know. Like…Fakir-sama, the head knight and official protector of the prince!" she clasped her hands tightly to her heart at the name.

"The prince's guard?" Ahiru twitched in disgust, remembering how he'd openly insulted her. "That **guy**? I think you'd rather marry a toad than go for him, Pique."

Then the redhead realized that this was a mistake to say, as her friend did a move similar to what Lillie had done moments before, only much harsher.

"Who are you to insult Fakir-sama like that!" she hollered with her hands around Ahiru's throat and shaking her hard enough to rattle her teeth.

"Gaaaaaah!" she cried, getting strangled for the third time that day.

"I didn't say anything that bad about His Majesty and you as far as I'm concerned! And anyway, I wouldn't have, since bad-mouthing Prince Mythos is a reason for me to be beheaded, or worse. But what right did you have to counter me with THAT?"

Lillie watched with a pleasant and delighted air as the salmon-haired girl continued to throttle Ahiru, who was struggling to break free with all of her might. "Ne, Ahiru. You said that the prince has returned, didn't you?"

"Y-y-yeeeeees!"

"He certainly has been a busy one nowadays." stated the blonde, finger to her chin. "I do wonder where he has gone off to, hmm?"

"Who knows? It could be urgent." Pique had at last released Ahiru and let her drop to the floor again to join in on the conversation. "I heard he went to visit another kingdom far away from here."

"Really? Which one? And what for?"

Pique shrugged off-handedly. "Social call? Maybe."

Behind the pair, Ahiru slowly rose from the floor, her head spinning, swaying from side to side.

"Maybe he was establishing an alliance with our neighbors." the salmon-haired girl continued. "Maybe a war's issuing."

"Oh indeed, a war!" Lillie cried shrilly, eyes sparkling in sheer excitement. "What mayhem and chaos there will be if that's so!"

Stumbling along as her vision stayed as blurry as ever, the redhead tried to find her way dizzily towards the tap for water to help straighten her senses.

Pique stared at the blonde disbelievingly. "Then it's not just monsters we'd have to worry about anymore! Even the prince can't keep Golden Crown standing with that much happening! There might not even be anything left of our kingdom after it's all over!"

Ahiru failed to notice her pitchfork, which lay forgotten on the ground.

"Yes, I know! Isn't that just war?" Lillie clasped her hands to her chest at the words. "The beauty and the poetry of a raging battle. The violence, the agony, the burning need to dominate your foes and take what they own! Death either at the hand of an enemy or theirs is what is worth fighting for!"

"Now, you're just—" but before Pique had a chance to finish herself, the redhead tripped on the pitchfork handle with a yelp, pitching forward towards the wooden post and collided headfirst into it. And in the process, a pail full of water perched on a low wooden beam attached to the post shook when Ahiru crashed into it, and the pail tilted and fell over, tipping its contents on a chestnut horse with a dark mane and tail, and it whinnied loudly in surprise to find itself soaking wet from top to bottom.

The pair turned as one at the commotion, and Pique exclaimed, "What the--!"

Groaning and holding her head, Ahiru sat up from the floor, her pains having doubled, and then snapped out of it as she heard one of the horses making a fuss, and looking up, realized what she'd done.

"Ahiru! What did you do now!" Pique demanded, shocked.

"N-nice horsie! Calm down! It's okay, you're not hurt!" Ahiru tried to assure the unsettled stallion, arms flapping rapidly from side to side, not sure of what to do.

The chestnut shook its head disagreeably and bumped its side against its stable, turning away from the girl. The contact caused vibration to issue from the stable to the post attached to it, to the beam where the now-empty pail still lay. And without warning, it fell directly on top of the horse's head.

Ahiru, seeing this, gasped. "Ah!"

The horse threw a fit at once; the pail obscuring its vision, and it kicked and neighed in its stable, knocking the door loose.

"Ahiru! Watch out!"

The redhead watched in horror as the metal latch for the door broke in only two kicks from the horse's front hooves, and it swung wide open for the stallion, which leapt out towards Ahiru.

"AAAHHH!" she cried, and out of instinct, dropped to the floor immediately, the horse flying over her small form, and it landed back onto its feet. The other two squealed in fright and divided when the horse charged between them before coming to a halt in the center. It began to run in circles as it bucked and reared, neighing and snorting loudly, the pail still on its head, before it made blindly for the open barn doors.

Soon enough, the racket had attracted the attention of Mister Frederick, and he came storming in, hollering, "What is going on he—" and was cut off immediately by the sight of one of his horses charging at him with a pail over its head, and he gave a great exclamation as it bowled him over, galloping out into the open and outside in broad daylight, the purple-haired farmer sprawled on the ground in a daze before passing out.

Ahiru jumped up. "Oh no!"

She ran towards the doors, her two friends on her heels. "This can't be good!"

Reaching the doorway, the three watched in both astonishment and shock at the scene opening before them; the horse wreaking havoc in the farm with its fit.

The stallion, broad and incredibly strong, also happened to be nervous and jumpy, making it hard for anyone to calm it down without the aid of Mister Frederick. And at the moment, it was in a high frenzy, what with a pail covering its eyes and unable to see, and it galloped and whinnied around the farm, oblivious to the commotion it was creating. It passed the chicken coop and the duck pond, sending feathers flying as the farm fowl flew out of the way of the crazed horse. It knocked over a wagon full of hay, kicked the water trough over and spilling its contents, and broke two fence posts when it crashed against the fence surrounding the farm. The four other girls working on the farm shrieked and screamed, having had their work interrupted by the hysterical horse, and fled into the house for safety.

"It's destroying everything!" Pique announced as the chestnut ran off once more.

"Oh, the humanity!" cried Lillie excitedly, who didn't seem at all disturbed by the havoc being wrought.

Ahiru watched as the horse sped across the ground.

_I have to do something!_ she thought wildly. _It's my entire fault, after all!_

"I have to stop it!" she declared, coming to that decision all on her own.

Pique whirled on her, disbelief crossing her face at the outburst. "What? Are you crazy! NO! Ahiru, WAIT!" she tried to call out as the girl ran after the horse at once.

"Ara! Ahiru's gone after it, even though she doesn't know a thing about horses!" Lillie stated affectionately, cupping her cheek with one hand. "How cute!"

"This isn't funny, Lillie! She could get killed!"

"Are you going to go help her, then?"

"…Er, no."

The redhead followed the trail of destruction left by the chestnut, wondering all the while what she would do once she caught up with it.

_If I could just get it to calm down!_

At last, she found it near the pen where Mister Frederick sheared the sheep for their woolly coats before wintertime came, running in circles again and trying to shake its head of the pail that still remained on its head.

"Hey!" she called out, and realized a few moments later that this was a stupid thing to do, as it froze for a second, then reared and neighed, unsure of whether the unseen speaker sought companionship or trouble with it.

Ahiru was taken aback, fear creeping into her heart. This was the second time that day that she'd had to deal with a horse driven into a crazed fit. Only now, the difference was that there was no Prince Mythos to help her.

The chestnut was so tall when it reared on its hind legs, taller than the prince's white horse, and the red-haired girl was frightened. Somehow finding the strength to move away from within range of the aimless horse's hooves which were pawing at the air, Ahiru came to stand at its side and tried to calm its nerves down.

"C-c-calm down!" she told it. "There's nothing to be afraid of!"

_I have to get that pail off its head!_ she thought, and made to reach for it by trying to climb onto its back.

Ahiru wasn't too sure she wanted to do this, as she'd never ridden a horse before. And after this, she might not want to for the next few months.

Just then, the horse reared one last time and with a whinny, took off once more. And this time, it took a passenger by accident with it.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Ahiru cried, having latched onto the horse's mane and was now holding on for dear life as the stallion galloped around the farm aimlessly. As it passed the barn, her two friends caught sight of her clinging to the horse.

"Ahiru!" Pique exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Ahiru, what on earth are you doing?" Lillie called out to her.

"I tried to stop the horse!" the redhead answered back. "The pail's gotta come off its head! Please guys! Do something!"

"But what?"

"Anything! Just make the horse stop!"

"THIS HAS GONE FAR ENOUGH!"

Pique and Lillie gave audible gasps as Mister Frederick sprung up from his position on the ground, and turned to glare at them both.

"M-M-Mister Frederick?" Pique stammered.

Standing resolute, the farmer turned and entered the tool shed. When he returned, he was clutching a meter of strong, thick rope and began to busy himself with it.

Suddenly the stallion came running back towards the barn with Ahiru, circling the ground again as it tried again in futile to get the pail off its head. And all the redhead could do was keep herself from falling off lest she be trampled once she hit the ground.

As her two friends watched, Mister Frederick looped the rope and held it in his hands. Then, he lifted the looped end high over his head and began to swing it around over his head, eyes focused on the stallion and the girl holding tight to its mane.

"He's…not going to lasso the horse, is he?" Pique queried, rather dubious of the idea.

But as they looked on, the farmer threw the lasso in the direction of the horse, which had now decided to charge in the opposite direction, putting further distance between the farmer and itself. But the rope was long, and Frederick Beowulf's throw strong. And luckily, his aim was true. It fell over the horse's head and around its neck.

The stallion jerked to a halt as its master pulled on the rope with a grunt, the heels of his boots digging into the ground at the strain. As for Ahiru, she managed to seize the pail off the horse, much to both her triumph and despair, as she was thrown off the horse and sent sailing into the air.

"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

"AHIRU!" Pique yelled as Lillie gasped.

After her scream followed a disgusting squelchy sound, and the pair winced. "Ewww…"

As luck(or perhaps, misfortune) would have it, Ahiru had landed in the pigs' pen, and was now sprawled in the mud, dizzy all over again, the sows and the boars snorting and snuffling at her form before turning away to wallow in the mud again.

"Ahhh!" Lillie said after a long silence, the lilt in her voice returning. "At least she didn't fall into the bushes of poison ivy over there..."

**-X-**

**A/N:** Okay. So like, how the heck was that?

:D Just keep reviewing me, 'kay?

¬.¬ Or I'm gonna be very depressed.


	5. Royal Affairs

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Princess Tutu. If I did, I would have made season 3. And I also don't own the name Chan'gagriel, which _ I got them, 'kay? Understandwas a name I borrowed from a computer game. :) I loved that game. All the moles and witches and stickmen I can coo at, be scared the hell out of at, and laugh as I roll my eyes at.

**-X-**

_**Royal Affairs**_

_Alma's Theme_

The knight strode through the vast hallway, passing portraits of former rulers and pillars along the way to his Majesty's chamber. He passed the former king's portrait, a tall man with a broad jaw and donned in his royal robes of royal red and purple, named King Luke IV. As the previous ruler before the golden-eyed prince, his reign over the kingdom brought prosperity that had not been seen since the War of Chan'gagriel, a disagreement among several neighboring kingdoms in a fight for territorial rights on the same continent. The war had lasted for 15 years, and ended 8 years ago. When the war had been worn and no kingdom made victorious, many cities caught in the tide of the raging battles were nearly destroyed, and it took another 4 years for the townspeople to help rebuild them, but miraculously, Golden Crown continued to stand firmly on its foundation without a scratch on any of its walls. By this time, Luke IV came to the throne after the king of Golden Crown, Kaiser the Valiant, perished as he surrendered to his wounds in the war he came to cooperate with, and the man promised to reestablish Golden Crown's economy and help in the repairs in any way he could for the sake of those who never wished for another war to rise.

A man of his word, King Luke IV established trade routes towards the kingdoms he'd managed to make alliances with, making contributions to the cities who were still undergoing repairs, and offered at least three quarters of his land to his allies. Earning respect from so many and from so far, King Luke IV became known as Luke of the Westlands, and reigned for over 3 years until he contracted a heart disease and died, leaving behind his young nephew and the prince of Golden Crown. Mythos.

_King._ the knight thought to himself.

That was what the prince would be soon. It was almost time for him to become prime ruler over Golden Crown, and the beginning of his soon-to-be-prosperous reign.

And everyone was already making way for the event.

Over a week had passed already, and the entire kingdom was hustling and bustling in preparations for the annual royal ball that the castle was holding, inviting many and other royal figures from the other kingdoms. The castle cooks had been running around in the kitchens, testing and experimenting on new dishes they've concocted, and rejecting or throwing out the ones that had turned a nasty color or developed a foul smell. The royal servants did their best to make the chambers and corridors as clean as possible, dusting every corner, every curtain, and every piece of furniture down till beneath the carpet, scrubbing at even the tiniest speck. The guards doubled their shifts on watch and guarded the areas carefully, making sure no outsider had a chance to get into the castle without permission. This was under the knight Fakir's orders. Tightening security was a must, to him at least. What with such an event taking place, so many of the people getting caught up in the preparations and important visitors coming from distant foreign lands, it was only wise to tighten security measures and keep a lookout for any suspicious activity. After all, this wasn't just any annual royal ball. This was a gala in celebration of the crowning of the soon-to-be King Mythos, which was only a few weeks away. What if a spy from an enemy kingdom was sent in to assassinate the young prince, and he opted to poison his drink during dinner, or drug him and kidnap him, bringing His Majesty back to the other kingdom and hold him for ransom, or worse, kill him?

No way in the Tundra Bay was Fakir letting that happen. Not as long as he, head knight to Prince Mythos, was there to protect and serve the prince, the last living member of the royal family, and the only hope of Golden Crown.

But the knight couldn't help but feel proud for the young prince too, earning the great crown hereditably as a true member of the royal family. Mythos was fully ready to become a monarch, and Fakir would see to it that he _would_ become one.

But not before a few words with him.

At last, the knight reached the tall, double oak doors, and pushed them open to meet a scene.

"Your Highness! I must insist that you wear silver on your ball robes!" squeaked a little old woman as she dangled a measuring tape in front of her, looking up to the beautiful face of the prince, who at the moment, seemed perturbed by the woman's persistence in flashy robe colors.

"No, really. I don't want—" he began.

The old woman tapped her foot impatiently on the ground. "Nonsense! It just won't do for His Majesty to look so drab in the ball! What would the people think if you'd come looking like an undignified landlord? Take my word for it; you'll be wanting your robes to shine once our neighbors from the other kingdoms see you."

As the young snow-haired prince tried to give reason while avoiding a debate with his royal tailor, Fakir watched all this impassively, as if he didn't care whether or not Mythos' robes should be made out of swan feathers. Neither of the two seemed to have noticed him enter, so he sighed to himself and wandered off to a corner to sit down, waiting quite patiently for the old woman to be done and leave, taking her 3'2 inches elsewhere.

"But I—" was all the helpless Mythos could muster before he was cut off yet again.

"Your Majesty, it truly shocks me to think that you are refusing this grand offer." the old woman shook her head as she said this. "No nobleman or lord has ever received such trifle from me, and that was only because all of them, and I do mean _all_ of them, had all the intentions to look so…outranking, so to speak." she paused to gesture to him dramatically before continuing. "But you, your Majesty, already had all the distinct qualities of a proper king since the time you were born as a prince. And I'm quite sure that your mother and father would agree with me when I say so. Being made king only helps you climb a step higher in rank, but nothing can ever change your rule or what the people of the kingdom may think of you. True that you are the rightful heir to the throne and are expected to abide by your duties as ruler, but even long before that, you've done so much for all of us; protecting the people and protecting Golden Crown. There will be nothing that would make everyone happy more than seeing you ascend to the royal throne come your crowning day. That is why, your well-deserved luxury and comfort in the ball," the old woman bowed low in a curtsey to him, "is what we all want to guarantee. What _I_ want to guarantee. So I shall take none of your humility. The prince and soon-to-be-king's robes shall be made in the way I envision them."

The young prince watched silently as the old woman turned on her heel and headed for the chamber doors, knowing well that it was futile to try and argue with her again; she was always one to put up a hard fight and win at the end with the last word. But he was also listening to every word of the old woman's speech, the warmth in his gentle heart now. He hadn't forgotten his parents, King Leon and the Lady Catherine. Both were endearing and precious in his development. He remembered how he'd wept that night as a child of no older than 8, when the dear departed couple fell to the plague that had spread into their kingdom, and how he'd been sent away before he, too, fell ill, only to be left in the hands of his uncle Luke IV. His days with his remaining relative were glad and happy; his uncle had loved him so dearly. And then, the man became king after the old ruler Kaiser died, and it wasn't until 4 years ago that Luke IV, having remained unmarried and heirless, left everything he had and owned to his only nephew just before his death. It was the hardest thing for the young prince to have everyone in his family leave him, leave him with nothing else but a kingdom which his uncle left to him to rule, but he knew then, ever since he'd gazed upon the hopeful and anxious faces of the people of Golden Crown, that he would do his best to keep it upright and protected by himself. If for his family he couldn't do anything, then for the kingdom of Golden Crown he would.

And by far, Prince Mythos won the hearts of all in the kingdom, won over the other kingdoms with his impressive rule, and earned a great many respectful worshippers from all over. He assumed that it may have been his good fortune to have made Golden Crown this strong and safe. Not to mention having a devoted partner by his side at every moment.

"Your Majesty."

_Speaking of which. _the prince thought as he turned to see his knight walk in strides across the room towards him.

"Fakir." Mythos greeted him. He didn't want to say it, but the knight's presence made him somewhat nervous. The prince had a feeling that Fakir was going to bring up a certain topic that he didn't feel like discussing at the moment, nor at any other time for the rest of the week. And he'd been avoiding it ever since he'd returned to Golden Crown, focusing more on the peril rather than the solution.

Forest-green eyes scanned the young prince's face before speaking once more. "We need to talk."

Those four words were all Mythos needed to confirm his guesses on the knight's intentions. Letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, he nodded once in acceptance, and said, "Perhaps we should sit down."

_Algus_

The pair seated themselves at a small round table, a small, white, delicate-looking vase holding an array of red and white roses sat in the middle. They sat opposite of each other so that they were face-to-face. Unease creeping in, Mythos decided that averting his gaze from the knight's would probably help stop the butterflies in his stomach. There was a pause, neither saying a word at first. Or at least, it was the knight that was pausing in what he intended to say, as he watched the prince's expression, which seemed almost worried and anxious, even concentrated with the affair. The truth was, the golden-eyed wonder was concentrating on not making eye contact with him, while staring at the little red rose bud peeking out of the small yet glorious bouquet, and he was finding it quite fascinating to look at than Fakir.

The knight finally decided to break the silence, and started quietly yet smoothly. "The entire castle staff is busy with the preparations, including my knights. Everyone in Golden Crown is looking forward to your annual ball, Your Majesty. And," he added, "royal families from all over the neighboring kingdoms are willing to come attend this grand event."

Fakir stopped to watch the prince's face, which remained indifferent since he'd spoken before continuing. "So then. It's been arranged that the dancing commences with you taking the lead. But it won't start before dinner, so His Highness has the time to make his way around with the daughters that the kings and queens have brought along, in order for you to properly meet their acquaintances."

Sharp, green eyes watched as golden ones narrowed in concentration at the rose bud, and the knight went on. "Get to know them, watch them, and listen to them. Anything they may say, do, or know might be what we're looking for. And once you find it, you will ask that princess to dance. Then we'll see for ourselves if there would be a response. And if there is, you'll know what to do."

Fakir, having finished, stared at Mythos, who still had not said a word throughout the talk. Then…

"Your Majesty."

The golden-eyed prince slowly brought his head up from his fixation on the rose to the determined, stony face of his protector and partner, who continued, "You know how important this is to us, and the kingdom. We have a lead, and we have to use it. And it's not just a warning, but also a direct order. If you back out now—"

"I run away from nothing, Fakir." Mythos finally spoke, cutting the knight's words short with his own. The prince fully met the other's somewhat surprised gaze, adding, "I know this is crucial. Crucial for the safety of everyone in Golden Crown, as well as yours and mine. But I don't want to force an innocent into getting involved with such a dangerous quest. Especially a princess. Besides that, what if she doesn't want to?"

"She can't refuse you. Not as a king." the knight answered.

"I am not yet a king, Fakir."

"You soon will be, which is all the more the reason for the princess to accept it and come with you, otherwise in the end, there will be nothing left for you to rule." the knight went on firmly, sharp, forest-green eyes looking intently into the other pair of golden ones sitting across from him. "If she is truly the one we're looking for, then she has to understand the situation and the value of her presence. She cannot be selfish, or doubtful. We need her. _You_ need her, your Highness."

The prince listened half-heartedly to Fakir's words, worrying more for what was to come. He never wanted anyone else involved, let alone a princess. Each person's welfare was important to him, and should anything happen during that time…

"Her parents will not accept this."

"They need to know nothing." the knight replied flatly. "Not until the princess is away with you. As for everyone else at the ball, I'll make an announcement of an illness you'd suddenly come over with. And I will be the one to deliver the news to the king and queen soon after."

"But why must I sneak away with her under such pretensions during the ball and without the king and queen's permission? Granted, it could wait, Fakir. There's no need to rush into things."

The knight glowered in annoyance at the prince and his hesitance, and with an edge in his soft tones, spoke. "You cannot stall for time, _Mythos._ That abomination is coming this way, and we have to act quickly. You can't tell me that you're going to risk the life of the townspeople and ourselves, all for the unworthy concern of a kidnapped princess whose blood is needed."

"Kidnapped? That sounds rather harsh," said the prince in a low voice, "even though that _is_ what we're going to do."

"Yes." Fakir nodded solemnly. "That_'s _what we're going to do. And I know it would make a stain in your reputation. But be as it may, this has to be done, or there's no hope for any of us."

Prince Mythos looked to the floor, watching the sunbeams catch sight of the dust in the air.

So much to do, so little time. And he, the prince of Golden Crown, was going to be part of a scheme concocted not by him but by the dark-haired man sitting opposite himself. A plan that would surely upset the parents of their precious daughter. And by the time they'd found out, he and the princess would have stolen away on horseback, into the night.

Still, for once, he could get out of the castle without his protector being with him all the time. And the truth was, he could get annoyingly overprotective, thinking even the ground posed a great hazard to His Majesty.

Or else the prince was exaggerating.

Turning away from the floor to meet the knight's forest-green gaze once more, Mythos inhaled and exhaled quietly. "I can only but wait till the following night."

**-X-**

**A/N:** I don't know why, but I feel unfulfilled.


End file.
